


The Soulmate Potion

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crossover, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Potions, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Howie is nearing the end of his seventh year. In NEWT Potions, it's Soulmate Potion time. Howie has a mountain ahead of him to reach his soulmate, but he is patient and willing, because he knows that's who he is supposed to be with.
Relationships: Howie Dorough/AJ McLean
Kudos: 1





	The Soulmate Potion

Opening his eyes, the first thing that Howie saw was the green curtains around his bed. He groaned, and pulled his pillow over his head. Hearing his roommates getting out of bed and getting dressed, Howie sighed and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he swung his legs to the side of the bed, and pushed open his curtains. 

“Reese, what time is it?” Howie yawned as he ran a hand through his hair. 

“7:30. Professor Snape wants us up for a morning meeting before breakfast” Reese replied, and Howie nodded, walking towards the bathroom, grabbing a clean uniform out of his trunk on his way. 

Ten minutes later, Howie was walking down the stairs to the common room, drawing his robe closer to his body. It had been seven years, but he still hadn’t gotten used to the coldness of the Slytherin dorms or common room. 

Professor Snape was already looming over the room, and Howie sat down in the back. He hated these morning meetings, but knew that Snape would have his head if he missed one. He didn’t fancy getting another one of his head of house’s detentions. The young man tuned Professor Snape out, knowing Reese or Romulus would tell him what had happened. 

After the meeting ended, Howie dragged himself to the Great Hall for breakfast. Grabbing a bowl of oatmeal and sprinkling some sugar on it, Howie grabbed a banana and some sausage, along with some pumpkin juice. 

“Double Potions first thing….anyone know what we are doing?” Howie asked after getting half of his meal down, feeling more awake. 

“Soulmate Potions….really Dorough, do you pay attention at all?” Victoria looked at her fellow seventh year with derision. Howie rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly. 

“Of course I do, or I wouldn’t have gotten into the NEWT class Langston” he shot back, and Victoria shook her head. 

“I am so not looking forward to that. I really don’t want to know who I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I was hoping that I could find her or him on my own” Reese pushed his eggs around his plate, and Howie nodded in agreement. 

“Same here. Do we really have to take them?” 

“No, but everyone else is going to pester you until you do. It’s expected for you to find your soulmate within a year of taking the potion” Victoria butted in, and both Reese and Howie glared at her. 

“Thanks Langston” Howie groaned. Finishing his meal, he pulled his bag up, and made his way back down to the dungeons to the potions classroom. His mind started to wander as he walked the familiar path. 

“What do I do if they are younger than me? Or older? How do I find them?” Howie thought, shaking his head gently. He wasn’t the best student, but he wasn’t the worst. He was going for NEWTs in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology and Ancient Runes. His worst subjects were History and Defense, but his five classes kept him plenty busy. 

A few moments later, he was seated in his usual chair, getting his supplies out. Professor Snape swept into the room as usual, and started his lecture. Howie sat up and paid attention to the older man’s words. 

“Today you will be brewing the Soulmate Potion. Your soulmate can be anyone, it doesn’t matter the age or house. If they are under 15, you are not allowed to say anything to them until they reach the age of maturity. If they are 15 and older, you may do what you would like. You can wait until they brew their own potion in a year or two, or you can approach them. They will have a yellowish-orange hue around them, and it will dissipate after you kiss them. The instructions are on the board, Begin” 

Howie went to the storeroom and got his ingredients, and went back to his station. Looking at the instructions, he realized it was a bit of a complicated potion, but he could do it if he paced himself. Slicing the boomslang, he grabbed his mortar and pestle, grinding the bat wings. He shivered as he milked the bloodroot, and stirred his mixture three times clockwise, and seven times counterclockwise. 

Taking the potion off the fire, he added the quills, and let it steep for another ten minutes. Stirring it four times counterclockwise, the potion turned a dark purple, exactly how it was supposed to be. Howie grinned to himself as he ladled it into the phial in front of him. 

“Nicely done Mr. Dorough, two points to Slytherin. You may leave, take the potion with you” Professor Snape walked by, and inspected the phial closely. 

“Thank you Professor” Howie quietly spoke, and quickly cleaned up his station. Casting an unbreakable charm on the phial, Howie put it in his bag, and walked out of the classroom. He had a free period until after lunch when he had Ancient Runes. 

“So…you going to take the potion?” Romulus walked up to Howie a few minutes later. 

“I think so. I think I’ll take it after I eat, when everyone is in the Great Hall” Howie replied. Romulus nodded, and he walked off to his Defense class while Howie went back to the dorm room. He needed a nap after that double class. 

Stumbling down to the Great Hall for lunch, Howie made sure he had the potion with him. Sitting down and grabbing a roast beef sandwich and some other treats, Howie pulled the potion of his bag, and set it next to his plate. Reese saw it, and looked at his dormmate. 

“You gonna go through with it?” 

“Yes, going to eat first though. Anyone got their soulmate yet?” Howie asked, and Reese chuckled softly. 

“Victoria is soulmates with a sixth year Gryffindor. She’s not happy” 

Howie snorted. “Why am I not surprised? Where’s yours Reese?” 

“In my bag, I don’t want to take it right now. Maybe soon, not sure” Howie nodded as he finished his meal. 

He grabbed the potion, and pushing the doubt away, he swallowed it in one gulp. Vanishing the phial, Howie closed his eyes, shook his head, and opened them again. He scanned the Great Hall, and he saw a yellowish-orange hue around someone. Reese, Romulus, and Victoria, who had just joined them a minute ago saw his reaction. They looked at each other, and back at Howie. 

“Who is it?” Victoria asked, trying to avoid looking at the Gryffindor table. 

“....” Howie shook his head, and sighed softly. 

“Howie?” Reese asked, concern in his tone. 

“It’s a Hufflepuff, a fifth year it looks like. He’s over 15, I can immediately tell, and yes it is male” Howie revealed. Eyebrows hiked up, and jaws dropped. 

“What are you going to do?” Romulus asked. 

“Not sure. Do any of you know who he is?” Howie discreetly pointed him out, and Reese bit his lip. 

“Silas, come here please” Reese called to his brother, who was sitting with the other fifth years a little ways down the table. Silas rolled his eyes, but walked over to his older brother. 

“What’s up?” 

“Who is that Hufflepuff in the fifth year section, the one with the dark hair and glasses?” Reese asked. Silas chuckled softly and looked at the seventh years. 

“His name is AJ. He’s a bit of a class clown, I’m friendly with him. We have Herbology and Charms together. Don’t know much else, why?” Silas peered at the assorted seventh years. 

“He’s my soulmate” Howie reluctantly revealed. Silas’s eyes widened, before he snorted softly in the Slytherin way of showing amusement. 

“Good luck, that’s all I’ll say” Silas left, going back to his lunch and his friends. Howie put his head in his hands and groaned softly. Reese patted his back, and looked at his best friend. 

“You know you don’t have to do anything until he takes his own in 2 years. But who knows where you will be?” 

“I’ll talk to him soon” Howie huffed as he got up, getting ready to go to the Ancient Runes classroom. 

Over the next couple of weeks, Howie silently observed AJ. He talked to a few people he knew in Hufflepuff, and they all gave him the same report. AJ was a good kid, a bit of a funny guy, but he was trustworthy, and Howie would be good for him. Howie knew he had to say something before the end of the school year, and it was already April. 

Marshalling up the slight Gryffindor courage he had, Howie waited one day after dinner for AJ to leave the Hufflepuff table, and he followed the younger man out of the Great Hall. Howie waited until they hit a bit of empty hallway, and called out to AJ. 

“AJ, wait up” he spoke, and the Hufflepuff whirled around. 

“Who’re you?” he asked, his eyes looking for an escape from the older Slytherin. 

“Name’s Howie Dorough. I have something I need to tell you” Howie replied. 

“What could you possibly have to tell me? Just hex me and get it over with” AJ resignedly spoke, and Howie shook his head. 

“I won’t hex you AJ, you are my soulmate” Howie quickly spoke, and AJ looked at the older man incredulously. 

“Soulmate? What the bloody are you talking about?” AJ harshly spoke. Howie sighed, AJ must be muggleborn. This couldn’t get any worse. Howie rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked at AJ. 

“In your seventh year, you make and take the soulmate potion. If you aren’t in the NEWT class, you are given it in your common room. I made it a couple weeks ago, and found out you are my soulmate. I wanted to tell you before I left the school” Howie explained. 

“Right. Well you can wait 2 years. I won’t believe it until I take the potion, if I do. Go on with your life, I want nothing to do with you right now. Leave me alone” AJ stalked away, and Howie couldn’t help the pang of hurt that hit him at AJ’s words. 

Howie dejectedly went back to his dorm, and laid on his bed. He drew the curtains around his bed, and stared at the ceiling. 

“Well that couldn’t have gone worse. Now I have to wait at least two years, what the bloody hell do I do?” Howie thought. 

Later that night, he talked to Reese and Romulus. Sharing what had happened, the two other boys were upset for their friend. Reese was ready to pull SIlas into the room, but Howie stopped him. 

“No, I am just going to leave AJ alone. Do what he said. I am going into the Ministry after I graduate. Just going to focus on that” Howie sighed. Reese was going into Healer training, while Romulus was going to do a Charms apprenticeship. 

Howie kept an eye on AJ until he graduated, but the younger man acted as if he didn’t exist. After graduation, Howie started his job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He enjoyed the work, and it kept his mind occupied everyday. He met up with Reese and Romulus occasionally, and both men had found their soulmates within a year. 

“Have you heard from AJ?” 

“No, Silas said he’s never mentioned you, and he isn’t in NEWT Potions. So I have no idea what will happen” Reese said sympathetically. Howie sighed and nodded. 

Howie watched as Reese married his wife Deidre, and Romulus married his husband Ian. He could only hope that AJ would search him out, if he ever took the potion. Howie often thought about the younger man, knowing that it was only with AJ that he would find happiness. 

One day Howie was working on a Saturday, when all of a sudden his door opened, and AJ came in the door, looking flustered and annoyed. Howie’s eyes widened in shock and he immediately put his paperwork aside. 

“AJ, are you alright?” Howie asked concernedly. 

“No, I am not. I have the soulmate potion with me, and I waited until I went home on Easter break. My parents know I’m here, but they don’t know why. They would never understand” AJ said in a rush, and Howie nodded slowly. 

“Do you want to take it now?” the older man asked gently. He wondered why AJ came right to him, especially after how their last meeting had gone down. Howie took a moment to look at AJ, he hadn’t seen the man in 2 years. 

AJ was now a bit taller than him, still wearing the glasses, and he seemed to have filled out his lanky form. He was currently wearing a sweater, slacks, with a robe over top of it all, and Howie thought he looked quite good. 

“Yes, just let me get it out of my bag” AJ put the bag he was carrying over his shoulder on Howie’s desk, and the older man cast a locking charm on his door. AJ’s head shot up at the bit of magic, and Howie smiled softly. 

“Didn’t think you wanted someone to walk in, even though it is Saturday, did you?” 

AJ rapidly shook his head as he dug through his bag. He almost had his whole arm in it, and Howie knew there was an Undetectable Extension charm on the bag, he had had the same thing on his own bags. 

Finally he pulled out the phial, and it was the same dark purple that Howie remembered it would be. AJ put his bag down and sat down in the chair facing Howie. Howie gazed at the younger man. 

“Did you make this, or was it given to you?” 

“Given. I didn’t take NEWT Potions, I didn’t have the grades. I excel more in DADA and Charms. I want to be an Auror when I graduate” AJ replied. 

Howie nodded at him and the phial. “Well, now or never” 

AJ sighed, and uncorked the phial, downing the potion in one shot. Howie watched as he closed his eyes, shook his head, and opened them again. He could immediately see that AJ saw the yellowish-orange hue. 

“It’s true…” he whispered, and Howie nodded. 

“Yes it is. I’ve been waiting two years for you. I understand why you didn’t believe me then. I probably would have had the same reaction” Howie reassured the younger man. 

“I am so sorry. I just needed proof” AJ softly spoke. 

“It’s okay AJ, now you have it. Now we can get to know each other, and let the romance flow. We have the rest of our lives together” Howie stood up, going around his desk, and pulled AJ up. He transfigured the chair into a couch, and pulled AJ into his arms as they settled down. Howie knew he wouldn’t get any more work done, but bonding with his soulmate was more important. Howie knew everything had changed, and he couldn’t wait for marriage, kids, and living and loving life with AJ. 


End file.
